METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ANALYZING AND PRESENTING CONFLICTS IN MODEL TRANSFORMATION AND AUTOMATICALLY RECONCILING MODEL TRANSFORMATION

• US 20080046864A1
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Zhu, Jun, Zhou, Xin, Liu, Ying, Wang, Jian, Bai, Xin Xin, Liu, Ying Hua
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,049 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/35 model driven
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/74 Reverse engineering; Extracting design information from source code

Abstract

Initial source and target models are divided into segments responsive to at least one segmentation rule. After changes, post-change source and target models are likewise divided. The at least one segmentation rule is defined responsive to at least one transformation rule such that use of the at least one segmentation rule divides initial source and target models into corresponding segments. Change statuses are identified regarding initial segments relative to post-change segments of the respective models responsive to comparing initial segments to post-change segments of the source model and initial segments to post-change segments of the target model. An indication of conflicts between the post-change source model and post-change target model is generated for presentation to a user or to a computer automated conflict settlement process. The generating is responsive to comparing the identified change statuses of the corresponding segments of the initial source model and initial target model.

Claims

1. A method for reconciling computer application model conflicts, wherein the computer application models include i) an initial source computer application model, ii) an initial target computer application model generated by applying at least one transformation rule to the initial source computer application model, iii) a post-change target model produced by at least one change to the initial target model, and iv) a post-change source model produced by at least one change to the initial source model, the method comprising the steps of:

a) dividing the initial source and target models and the post-change source and target models into segments responsive to at least one segmentation rule, wherein the at least one segmentation rule is defined responsive to the at least one transformation rule such that use of the at least one segmentation rule divides the initial source and target models into corresponding segments;

b) identifying change statuses of the initial segments relative to the post-change segments of the respective models responsive to comparing initial segments to post-change segments of the source model and initial segments to post-change segments of the target model; and

c) generating an indication of conflicts between the post-change source model and post-change target model for presentation to a user or to a computer automated conflict settlement process, wherein the generating is responsive to comparing the identified change statuses of the corresponding segments of the initial source model and initial target model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) includes the step of:

identifying, for the respective source and target models, correspondence among the initial and post-change segments.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the post-change segments include segments added by the at least one change to the respective initial models.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of b) includes:

identifying change status for each pre-change segment relative to any corresponding existing or deleted post-change segment of the respective models.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the dividing of a) is further responsive to at least one segment relating rule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing of segments in b) is responsive to predetermined segment comparison criteria, the criteria depending upon types of source and target segments and upon major and minor properties, and wherein the change statuses are selected from among statuses indicating that compared segments are:

same, slightly different, and totally different.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising the step of:

creating a reconciled target model responsive to pre-defined reconciliation rules, wherein the reconciled target model has segments and the creating of the reconciled target model includes;

selecting each segment of the reconciled target model from one of the following segments;

a segment of the post-change target model, a modified segment of the post-change target model, and a transformed segment of the post-change source model.

8. A computer program product, stored on a tangible, computer readable medium, for reconciling computer application model conflicts, wherein the computer application models include i) an initial source computer application model, ii) an initial target computer application model generated by applying at least one transformation rule to the initial source computer application model, iii) a post-change target model produced by at least one change to the initial target model, and iv) a post-change source model produced by at least one change to the initial source model, said computer program product having instructions for execution by a computer, which, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to implement a method comprising the steps of:

a) dividing the initial source and target models and the post-change source and target models into segments responsive to at least one segmentation rule, wherein the at least one segmentation rule is defined responsive to the at least one transformation rule such that use of the at least one segmentation rule divides the initial source and target models into corresponding segments;

b) identifying change statuses of the initial segments relative to the post-change segments of the respective models responsive to comparing initial segments to post-change segments of the source model and initial segments to post-change segments of the target model; and

c) generating an indication of conflicts between the post-change source model and post-change target model for presentation to a user or to a computer automated conflict settlement process, wherein the generating is responsive to comparing the identified change statuses of the corresponding segments of the initial source model and initial target model.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein step b) includes the step of:

identifying, for the respective source and target models, correspondence among the initial and post-change segments.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the post-change segments include segments added by the at least one change to the respective initial models.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the identifying of b) includes:

identifying change status for each pre-change segment relative to any corresponding existing or deleted post-change segment of the respective models.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the dividing of a) is further responsive to at least one segment relating rule.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the comparing of segments in b) is responsive to predetermined segment comparison criteria, the criteria depending upon types of source and target segments and upon major and minor properties, and wherein the change statuses are selected from among statuses indicating that compared segments are:

same, slightly different, and totally different.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the method caused by the computer executing the instructions further comprises the steps of:

creating a reconciled target model responsive to pre-defined reconciliation rules, wherein the reconciled target model has segments and the creating of the reconciled target model includes;

selecting each segment of the reconciled target model from one of the following segments;

a segment of the post-change target model, a modified segment of the post-change target model, and a transformed segment of the post-change source model.

15. A computer system comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device connected to the processor, wherein the storage device has stored thereon a computer application model conflict reconciling program for controlling the processor, wherein the computer application models include i) an initial source computer application model, ii) an initial target computer application model generated by applying at least one transformation rule to the initial source computer application model, iii) a post-change target model produced by at least one change to the initial target model, and iv) a post-change source model produced by at least one change to the initial source model, and wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of;

a) dividing the initial source and target models and the post-change source and target models into segments responsive to at least one segmentation rule, wherein the at least one segmentation rule is defined responsive to the at least one transformation rule such that use of the at least one segmentation rule divides the initial source and target models into corresponding segments;

b) identifying change statuses of the initial segments relative to the post-change segments of the respective models responsive to comparing initial segments to post-change segments of the source model and initial segments to post-change segments of the target model; and

c) generating an indication of conflicts between the post-change source model and post-change target model for presentation to a user or to a computer automated conflict settlement process, wherein the generating is responsive to comparing the identified change statuses of the corresponding segments of the initial source model and initial target model.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein step b) includes the step of:

identifying, for the respective source and target models, correspondence among the initial and post-change segments.

17. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the post-change segments include segments added by the at least one change to the respective initial models.

18. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the identifying of b) includes:

identifying change status for each pre-change segment relative to any corresponding existing or deleted post-change segment of the respective models.

19. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the comparing of segments in b) is responsive to predetermined segment comparison criteria, the criteria depending upon types of source and target segments and upon major and minor properties, and wherein the change statuses are selected from among statuses indicating that compared segments are:

same, slightly different, and totally different.

20. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is operative with the program to execute the program for performing the steps of:

creating a reconciled target model responsive to pre-defined reconciliation rules, wherein the reconciled target model has segments and the creating of the reconciled target model includes;

selecting each segment of the reconciled target model from one of the following segments;

a segment of the post-change target model, a modified segment of the post-change target model, and a transformed segment of the post-change source model.